Sunday, May 31, 2009

In my mailbox was created by Kristi of The Story Siren, who was inspired by Pop Culture Junkie.Here are the books I got this week...

Being Nikki by Meg CabotPublished by Scholastic, Inc.

Things aren't pretty for Emerson Watts.

Em was sure there couldn't be anything worse than being a brainiac the body of a teenaged supermodel.

But it turned out she was wrong. Because that supermodel could turn out to have a mother who's gone mysteriously missing, a brother who's shown up on her doorstep demanding answers, a former best friend who's intent on destroying Stark Enterprises to avenge the death of his lost love, and a British heartthrob who's written a song about her that's topping the charts.

How can Em balance all that with school, runway shows, and weekend jaunts to St. Johns - especially when she's got ex-boyfriends crawling out of the woodwork who want more than just a photo op; a sister who is headed to the high school cheerleading championships; a company she represents that seems to be turning to the dark side...

Not to mention trying to convince the love of her life that models aren't really airheads after all...especially one model in particular.

But then, nobody said it was going to be easy being Nikki.

Bones of Faerie by Janni Lee Simner

Published by Random House

The war between humanity and Faerie devastated both sides. Or so 15-year-old Liza has been told. Nothing has been seen or heard from Faerie since, and Liza’s world bears the scars of its encounter with magic. Trees move with sinister intention, and the town Liza calls home is surrounded by a forest that threatens to harm all those who wander into it. Then Liza discovers she has the Faerie ability to see—into the past, into the future—and she has no choice but to flee her town. Liza’s quest will take her into Faerie and back again, and what she finds along the way may be the key to healing both worlds.

Watersmeet by Ellen Jensen Abbot

Published by Marshall Cavendish

From her birth, Abisina has been outcast--for the color of her eyesand skin, and for her lack of a father. Only her mother's status as thevillage healer has kept her safe. But when a mythic leader arrives,Abisina's life is ripped apart. She escapes alone to try to find the father andthe home she has never known. In a world of extremes, from the deepestprejudice to the greatest bonds of duty and loyalty, Abisina must find herown way and decide where her true hope lies.

Thursday, May 28, 2009

Charlotte Usher feels practically invisible at school, and then one day she really is invisible. Even worse: she's dead. And all because she choked on a gummy bear. But being dead doesn't stop Charlotte from wanting to be popular; it just makes her more creative about achieving her goal. If you thought high school was a matter of life or death, wait till you see just how true that is.In this satirical, yet heartfelt novel, Hurley explores the invisibility we all feel at some times and the lengths we'll go to be seen.

I'm going to admit that I picked up this book mainly because of the cover. Now, that doesn't mean that the premise wasn't interesting, it was, but the cover just looked extremely original. The book starts off with Charlotte's death...death by gummy bear. If it's not tragic enough to be remembered as "that girl who died because she choked on a gummy bear", she finds out that she has to attend high school for ghosts. At this "deadiquette" class she meets other teens who had untimely deaths, and together they are supposed to work toward graduating (crossing over). Charlotte is supposed to accept that she's dead, but she just can't give up the dream of catching Damen (her super popular, living, crush). So, Charlotte strikes up a deal with a girl named Scarlet (who is, much to Charlotte's surprise, able to see Charlotte). Charlotte will inhabit Scarlet's body for a while, and during that time Scarlet will get to wander around invisible to her peers. Shenanigans ensue.

The story was unique, and written by someone who really made me remember the angst of being a teenager. It was well written, and Hurley is a veteran in the field. This may be her first teen book, but she's spent a lot of time writing/directing for television and film. The problem, however, was that I lost interest around the middle. This might have been due to the large number of books that had just been released that I had been dying to read, or it might have just been my lack of empathy for a character so set on being popular. Eventually, I made it through, and was pleasantly surprised that story picked up again toward the end. The sequel, Ghostgirl: Homecoming is being released in July, and I'll undoubtedly read it. I'm interested in seeing how Hurley can continue this story (since the first one seemed to wrap up really well). The premise of the new story does sound interesting, and once again the cover art is amazing.

Wednesday, May 27, 2009

This was started by Jill at Breaking the Spine. It's basically thebooks that haven't been released yet, but that I'm pining for.

Rampant by Diana Peterfreund

Forget everything you ever know about unicorns.

The sparkly, innocent creatures of lore are a myth. Real unicorns are venomous, man-eating monsters with huge fangs and razor-sharp horns. And they can only be killed by virgin descendants of Alexander the Great.

Fortunately, unicorns have been extinct for a hundred and fifty years.

Or not.

Astrid Llewelyn has always scoffed ather eccentric mother’s stories about killer unicorns. But when one of the monsters attacks her boyfriend in the woods – thereby ruining any chance of him taking her to prom – Astrid learns that unicorns are real and dangerous, and she has a family legacy to uphold. Her mother packs her off to Rome to train as a unicorn hunter at the ancient cloisters the hunters have used for centuries.

However, at the cloisters, all is not what is seems. Outside, the unicorns wait to attack. And within, Astrid faces other, unexpected threats: from crumbling, bone-covered walls that vibrate with a terrible power to the hidden agendas of her fellow hunters to – perhaps most dangerously of all – her growing attraction to a handsome art student… and a relationship that could jeopardize everything.

I'm still getting over the fact that Peterfreund's other series (Secret Society Girl) has ended. At least this new book, the first in a series, gives me a little something to look forward to.Release Date - August 25, 2009Published by HarperCollins

Tuesday, May 26, 2009

Sunday, May 24, 2009

In my mailbox was created by Kristi of The Story Siren, who was inspired by Pop Culture Junkie.

Here are the books I got this week (most of them are for review)

Bloodhound by Tamora PiercePublished by Random House

Beka Cooper is finally a Dog—a full-fledged member of the Provost’s Guard, dedicated to keeping peace in Corus’s streets. But there’s unrest in Tortall’s capital. Counterfeit coins are turning up in shops all over the city, and merchants are raising prices to cover their losses. The Dogs discover that gamblers are bringing the counterfeit money from Port Caynn. In Port Caynn, Beka delves deep into the gambling world, where she meets a charming banking clerk named Dale Rowan. Beka thinks she may be falling for Rowan, but she won’t let anything—or anyone—jeopardize her mission. As she heads north to an abandoned silver mine, it won’t be enough for Beka be her usual “terrier” self. She’ll have to learn from Achoo to sniff out the criminals—to be a Bloodhound. . . .

Ghost Huntress: The Awakening by Marley GibsonPublished by Houghton Mifflin HarcourtPsychic Kids, Paranormal State, Haunting Evidence—these and countless other television shows are making believers out of millions of people: Ghosts exist, and they’re living right beside us. For centuries, individuals have been trying to prove the existence of ghosts. But without hard evidence, it’s been difficult to make the case. But now as science and technology have progressed, ghost hunters have been able to use scientific means, along with more traditional psychic tools, to make their case. Photographs, video recordings, and sound recordings are all producing some amazing results. In this new series, Ghost Huntress, meet Kendall Moorehead, a seemingly typical teen. When her family moves from Chicago to the small historical town of Radisson, Georgia, her psychic abilities awaken. She’s hearing, feeling, and seeing things that seem unbelievable at first, but with the help of the town psychic, Kendall is able to come to terms with her newly emerging gift. So, together with her new BFF, Celia, Kendall forms a ghost hunting team. They’ve got all the latest technology. They’ve got Kendall for their psychic. Now they’re going to clean up Radisson of its less savory spirits. The story is fiction. The science is real. Welcome to a new reality.

My Fair Godmother by Janette RallisonPublished by Walker & CompanyFinding your one true love can be a Grimm experience! After her boyfriend dumps her for her older sister, sophomore Savannah Delano wishes she could find a true prince to take her to the prom. Enter Chrissy (Chrysanthemum) Everstar: Savannah’s gum-chewing, cell phone–carrying, high heel-wearing Fair Godmother. Showing why she’s only Fair—because she’s not a very good fairy student—Chrissy mistakenly sends Savannah back in time to the Middle Ages, first as Cinderella, then as Snow White. Finally she sends Tristan, a boy in Savannah’s class, back instead to turn him into her prom-worthy prince. When Savannah returns to the Middle Ages to save Tristan, they must team up to defeat a troll, a dragon, and the mysterious and undeniably sexy Black Knight. Laughs abound in this clever fairy tale twist from a master of romantic comedy.

Audrey, Wait! by Robin BenwayPublished by Penguin Group

When funny, charming, absolutely-normal Audrey Cuttler dumps her boyfriend Evan, he writes a song about her that becomes a number-one hit and rockets Audrey to stardom!

Suddenly, tabloid paparazzi are on her tail and Audrey can barely hang with her friends at concerts or the movies without getting mobbed let alone score a date with James, her adorable coworker at the Scooper Dooper. Her life will never be the same at least, not until Audrey confronts Evan live on MTV and lets the world know exactly who she is!

Wednesday, May 20, 2009

Think vampires are romantic, sexy, and powerful? Think again. Vampires are dead. And unless they want to end up staked, they have to give up fanging people, admit their addiction, join a support group, and reform themselves.Nina Harrison, fanged at fifteen and still living with her mother, hates the Reformed Vampire Support Group meetings every Tuesday night. Even if she does appreciate Dave, who was in a punk band when he was alive, nothing exciting ever happens. That is, until one of group members is mysteriously destroyed by a silver bullet. With Nina (determined to prove that vamps aren't useless or weak) and Dave (secretly in love with Nina) at the helm, the misfit vampires soon band together to track down the hunter, save a werewolf, and keep the world safe from the likes of themselves.

The new fad in YA lit is vampires, called "bit lit" by some, and it was refreshing to read a new take on this genre. Instead of the vampires being strikingly beautiful, like vampires in most YA lit, the characters in this book were basically falling apart. In fact, they make being a vampire seem like a completely miserable existence. Nina attends weekly meetings with a group of other vampires, including the one who bit her, and all is going as well as possible. Until that vampire gets staked...

Nina narrates the story with a dark wit that was easy to appreciate, especially given her current living situation (her mother's basement), and you really grow to feel the pain of trying to live a normal life despite being...well, dead. I really loved the unique spin on the popular genre. I can't count the number of new books I've seen on the shelves lately that contain amazingly beautiful vampires (not that this genre is a bad thing, but I just want to stress how different, in a good way, this book was).I personally would have liked to see a little bit more development between Nina and Dave, particularly because Nina seemed a bit naive about his love for her. Especially after a werewolf was thrown into the mix as a possible romantic partner. Overall, I thought this was a fun read, and am looking forward to reading other books by Jinks.

This was started by Jill at Breaking the Spine. It's basically the books that haven't been released yet, but that I'm pining for.

This week -

Along for the Ride by Sarah Dessen

It's been so long since Auden slept at night. Ever since her parents' divorce - or since the fighting started. Now she has the chance to spend a carefree summer with her dad and his new family in the charming beach town where they live.

A job in a clothes boutique introduces Auden to the world of girls: their talk, their friendship, their crushes. She missed out on all that, too busy being the perfect daughter to her demanding mother. Then she meets Eli, an intriguing loner and a fellow insomniac who becomes her guide to the nocturnal world of the town. Together they embark on parallel quests: for Auden, to experience the carefree teenage life she's been denied; for Eli, to come to terms with the guilt he feels for the death of a friend.

Tuesday, May 19, 2009

Sunday, May 17, 2009

In my mailbox was created by Kristi of The Story Siren, who was inspired by Pop Culture Junkie.

Most of the books on here were either purchased by me, or picked up at the library -

Ghost Girl by Tonya HurleyPublished by Little, Brown Books

Now I lay me down to sleep,

I pray the Lord my soul to keep.

And if I should die before I awake,

I pray the popular attend my wake.Charlotte Usher feels practically invisible at school, and then one day she really is invisible. Even worse: she's dead. And all because she choked on a gummy bear. But being dead doesn't stop Charlotte from wanting to be popular; it just makes her more creative about achieving her goal. If you thought high school was a matter of life or death, wait till you see just how true that is.In this satirical, yet heartfelt novel, Hurley explores the invisibility we all feel at some times and the lengths we'll go to be seen.

The Reformed Vampire Support Group by Catherine JinksPublished by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt

Think vampires are romantic, sexy, and powerful? Think again. Vampires are dead. And unless they want to end up staked, they have to give up fanging people, admit their addiction, join a support group, and reform themselves.Nina Harrison, fanged at fifteen and still living with her mother, hates the Reformed Vampire Support Group meetings every Tuesday night. Even if she does appreciate Dave, who was in a punk band when he was alive, nothing exciting ever happens. That is, until one of group members is mysteriously destroyed by a silver bullet. With Nina (determined to prove that vamps aren't useless or weak) and Dave (secretly in love with Nina) at the helm, the misfit vampires soon band together to track down the hunter, save a werewolf, and keep the world safe from the likes of themselves.The perfect anecdote to slick vampire novels, this murder-mystery comedy of errors will thrill fans of Evil Genius.

The Summoning by Kelley ArmstrongPublished by HarperCollins

My name is Chloe Saunders and my life will never be the same again.

All I wanted was to make friends, meet boys, and keep on being ordinary. I don't even know what that means anymore. It all started on the day that I saw my first ghost—and the ghost saw me.

Now there are ghosts everywhere and they won't leave me alone. To top it all off, I somehow got myself locked up in Lyle House, a "special home" for troubled teens. Yet the home isn't what it seems. Don't tell anyone, but I think there might be more to my housemates than meets the eye. The question is, whose side are they on? It's up to me to figure out the dangerous secrets behind Lyle House . . . before its skeletons come back to haunt me.

Beatrice Shakespeare Smith is not an actress, yet she lives in a theater.

She's not an orphan, but she has no parents.

She knows every part, but she has no lines of her own.Until now.

Welcome to the Théâtre Illuminata, where the characters of every play ever written can be found behind the curtain. They were born to play their parts, and are bound to the Théâtre by The Book--an ancient and magical tome of scripts. Bertie is not one of them, but they are her family--and she is about to lose them all and the only home she has ever known.

Wednesday, May 13, 2009

Welcome to Cornucopia of Reviews!

My name is Lizzy, and I started the site in the summer of 2009. Although I can't recall what exactly inspired me to start a blog featuring book reviews, I do know that part of the reason was that I wanted to share the love that I have for Young Adult Literature with others.

I found that once I entered my 20's, people expected me to move on from the Young Adult section of my local bookstore. While I enjoy reading all genres, I adore YA books. Blogging has been a great way to network with other people who love that same genre. Plus, I've found plenty of other non-teens who still love teen fiction.

To learn more about me, click Here.
I am currently accepting books to review. If you're an author/publisher and you'd like to see a book/author featured on this site in another form, please email me: cornucopiaofreviews@gmail .com